HEKS/EPER is making a difference in the «Access to land and resources» in Italy

HEKS/EPER supports the «Centro Diaconale La Noce» operated by the Waldensian Church in Palermo, which works for the social integration of disadvantaged persons. At the core of the work of the Centro is the school – about a fifth of the children have a disability or a migration background. By attending school alongside local children and children without disabilities they become socially integrated and receive optimal support. The Centro also runs a therapy centre that fosters the development of children with disabilities, as well as a home for unaccompanied refugee minors. The women's shelter in turn gives refuge to mothers and their children in family crisis situations, and through the integration centre, «La Noce» assists ex-offenders on their way to an independent life.

Facts

In 2017 HEKS/EPER funded safe travel to Italy as well as accommodation and integration measures during the asylum procedure for 170 especially vulnerable refugees.

Rural communities need unimpeded access to natural resources such as land, water, pastures, savannahs or forests if they are to develop. The possibility to use these resources is critical to fighting hunger and poverty. Agriculture is, after all, the most important source of income for many rural communities. With crop farming, small plantations, livestock rearing, fishing or gathering they can secure their food supply and generate income by selling their produce. Land also serves communities as living space and reinforces cultural and spiritual identity. Many rural communities still lack access to land or risk losing it despite existing or traditional law. HEKS/EPER therefore helps them, through numerous projects, to secure long-term access to land and resources, both practically and legally.